Speaker – Phillip Hamilton 
Topic – Phalaenopsis species/hybrids
Meeting starts 7:00 – Doors open at 6:30.
Venice Community Center
Phillip was born and raised in Jamaica where he inherited his dad’s passion for orchids and grew up working in his parents’ orchid nursery, Hamlyn Orchids. Although his dad’s true orchid passion is with the Jamaican native Broughtonia’s and their hybrids, Phillip’s passion leaned heavily toward Phalaenopsis, which he has been growing and hybridizing since the age of eight.
He earned his undergraduate and graduate degrees in Environmental Horticulture at the University of Florida in Gainesville, and is an American Orchid Society (AOS) Accredited Judge.
Professionally, Phillip has worked for two major orchid production nurseries in Central Florida as a grower and grower/manager. In 2013 he formed his own business (part-time), Bredren Orchids, to facilitate the small-scale sale of some of the more unique Phalaenopsis and Broughtonia species and hybrids he grows and breeds. He now manages Bredren Orchids full-time since 2017, with the generous help of his wife, Liz. They are currently working on developing this business into more than just the mail-order only entity it now is.
Phillip will be bringing a variety of plants for sale, including: novelty Phalaenopsis species/hybrids and Broughtonia/Cattleya related species and hybrids.